


The Aquifer

by swampjello



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-22 11:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22448896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swampjello/pseuds/swampjello
Summary: “Lord Hubert, I was just on my way to bring you an update. She’s awake.”“Who’s awake?” Edelgard asked, looking to Hubert. When he did not answer, she brought a hand to her chest.“Hubert.”“She was found several miles away, washed up on the river bank. The healers cannot explain it, but it appears she has been in a coma - in the river - for the last five years.”----A re-imagining of Byleth's five year absence and return.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 5
Kudos: 243





	1. Chapter 1

Gregory sniffed slightly, gritting his jaw at the sight before him. Fields once golden with grain now lay bare, save the debris carried by the river. Each year, during the Garland Moon, the mountain snow melted, creating a torrent of water that flooded nearby rivers and surrounding land. His fields would remain underwater until the Horsebow Moon, at which point he and his family would begin clearing the land in preparation for future harvests. 

As his family had owned this land for several generations, the flooding was ritual at this point. It did not, however, make the task any easier. When the waters subsided, he would make the lone journey to the fields to survey the damage. This year, however, his daughter had accompanied him. 

“Marim,” he called, watching as she walked between several uprooted trees. “Let’s walk the river bank first and check for erosion.” 

She nodded and, with some difficulty, pulled her boots from the mud and made her way towards the river. 

The debris was always the same; tree trunks, uprooted flora, and the occasional tool lost to the flooding by fishermen and farmers further upstream. Spotting a rusted scythe, he knelt down and examined the handle, searching for a family seal to identify its owner. Brushing the mud away from the intricate indention on the base of the blade, he saw that it belonged to a nearby farmer.  _ They’re on my way into town; I can return it th- _

“Father!” Marim screamed. Gregory’s head snapped up and searched for his daughter; she had continued downstream as he had examined the scythe. Nearly a hundred meters away, he saw her pointing towards the far bank. Following her finger, he saw why she screamed. It was a body. 

Dropping the scythe, he hurried over to his daughter. Although the local farmers were well acquainted with the flood season, there was the occasional, unfortunate traveler who was swept away by the current. He had hoped to spare his daughter this experience. Moving beside her, he ignored the body altogether and searched his daughter’s face. White with dread, she stared unblinkingly across the river. 

“Marim,” he whispered, moving to stand between her and the view of the body. “Look at me, sweetie. You don’t need to see this.”

Her face didn’t register that he had spoken; instead she gazed over his shoulder and uttered, “ _ Their hair. _ ”

Turning his head, he felt the blood drain from his face.  _ Teal hair _ . He turned fully to examine the body now; the body had a messy mop of light green hair and what appeared to be a disembodied spine clasped in their hand. Squinting, he inhaled sharply as his brain pieced everything together. It was no spine - it was the Sword of the Creator.

“Are they a child of the Goddess?” Marim trembled slightly as she finally tore her eyes away from the scene and stared up at her father. “I thought they couldn’t be killed?”

“I - I don’t know.” He stuttered. In the past, when he found a dead traveler, he’d simply buried them. By the time the waters had subsided, there was never anything left with which to identify them. As such, he felt it was only right to give them a proper burial. This, however, was different. At a glance, it appeared that they had recently died as there was no sign of bodily decay. Their robes however, were stained and tattered as though they had been in the river for years. Moreover, the sword in their hand made it clear that this was not another long-dead stranger to bury.

“Get back to the horses,” he spoke urgently as he turned back towards Marim. “Ride to the crossroads and fetch the soldiers. Tell them what we found.”

She made no move to leave, her eyes locked on the body on the far bank. Grabbing her shoulders, he met her eyes. “ _ Marim, now. _ ”

She jolted slightly but nodded, backing away before turning and breaking into a run.

\-----

Ferdinand was the first to hear the shouts. Hunched over a map, his head snapped up and gazed at his captain. Without a word, they both moved swiftly to exit the tent. Rapidly approaching on horseback, a young girl shouted, “ _ Help!”  _ Breaking into a run, Ferdinand moved to intercept her. The horse’s hooves slid several feet before stopping beside him.

Grabbing the reins, Ferdinand moved to steady the horse as he looked at its rider. “What’s wrong?”

Pale with fear, the girl struggled to keep her voice level. “Sir! There’s a body - my father and I - we - we found a body in the river!”

His captain approached and stood beside him. 

“The river? Likely someone caught in the flooding, sir. Perhaps a traveling merchant. We always find a few unfortunate souls this time of year.”

Ferdinand nodded to him and looked back to the girl. He remembered the first time he had seen a corpse and, despite his best efforts to hide it, he, too, had been terrified. Sighing, he brushed the horse with his hand. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he began, “Would you like us to collect it?”

“Sir, you misunderstand,” she shook her head wildly, “The body - it has teal hair.”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened as he understood the implication; only a Child of the Goddess carried the trait for teal hair. There were only a handful of people alive with it, and all of them were on the opposing side of the current war.

“Teal hair? You’re certain?”

“Yes, sir!” she cried, “And, there was a weapon - a sword of some sort. It looked as though it were made of bones!”

Ferdinand inhaled sharply. Five years ago, he and his peers had lost their teacher, Byleth Eisner. She had just bested the archbishop - Rhea - in battle when blinding light and filled the sanctuary. Ferdinand had dropped his head to his saddle, shielding his eyes from the white light. When it subsided, he looked and found a large, white dragon standing where Rhea had knelt bleeding only moments before. Moments later, the dragon -  _ The Immaculate One _ , as she called herself - cocked her neck back before surging forward, releasing a blast of energy into the sanctuary’s ceiling. Ferdinand watched in horror as the roof collapsed on Byleth. 

They had never found her body. 

Turning to his captain, Ferdinand said, “Go back to the monastery and fetch Lord Hubert.  _ Speak to no one else.” _ His captain nodded curtly and ran to his horse, mounting it in a swift, fluid motion. Ferdinand turned back to the girl.

“Take me to the body.”

\----

“The Emperor will arrive before sunset,” Hubert murmured, stroking his chin idly. “She will want to know of this.” Standing in the monastery’s infirmary, he watched as a nurse tended to the teal haired woman before him. 

Professor Byleth Eisner had vanished without a trace nearly five years ago. While all had watched as the roof had collapsed on her, they were never able to find her body after the debris was cleared. His emperor - Edelgard - had been beside herself with grief. 

But now, laying on a small hospital cot, it appeared she had returned. Never one to believe in coincidences or good intentions, he narrowed his eyes. Where had she gone? Had she not pledged herself to their cause? The farmer who found her had made a rather startling observation - her clothes showed years of water damage, almost as though she had been in the river the entire time. What’s more was that she was  _ alive _ . The nurses confirmed that she was in a coma, however, explaining that it was a ‘miracle of the goddess’ that she had survived so long without around-the-clock care. 

“Preposterous,” he murmured. Lifting his head, he caught the attention of the nearby nurse. “I want to know the moment  _ anything _ changes. The guards are just outside the door - they will alert me if you tell them.”

The nurse nodded before bowing slightly and returning to Byleth’s side. Breathing deeply, Hubert turned and made his way out of the infirmary. 

\----

“Good evening, Hubert,” Edelgard smiled as she dismounted her horse. “How are things here?”

“Your team fairs well and is ready for the upcoming battle,” he hesitated, “Although there is a separate development that requires your attention.”

“A good one, I hope?” Edelgard sighed.

“I believe so, Your Majesty,” he nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. “If you will follow me.”

Edelgard’s eyebrows shot up. “Now, Hubert? I’ve only just arrived.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he began, “I do not think you would forgive me if I waited.”

Edelgard’s brow furrowed, but she shook her head and said, “Very well. Lead the way.”

\----

As they approached the long hallway that led to the infirmary, they were intercepted by a guard. 

“Lord Hubert, I was just on my way to bring you an update. She’s awake.”

“Who’s awake?” Edelgard asked, looking to Hubert. When he did not answer, she brought a hand to her chest.

“ _ Hubert.” _

“She was found several miles away, washed up on the river bank. The healers cannot explain it, but it appears she has been in a coma -  _ in the river _ \- for the last five years.”

Edelgard stared at him for a long time before turning to look down the long hallway. Her fingers dug into her chest slightly as she breathed deeply. Finally, she stepped forward.

\----

Byleth’s eyes were heavy with sleep. Despite Sothis’ angry tirade about ‘sleeping too long,’ Byleth briefly believed that she could tune out her voice and fall back asleep. As she settled into the soft pillow beneath her head, her mind went over recent memories. The battle with Rhea, the ceiling collapsing, Edelgard screaming her name before everything went inexplicably black….

_ Edelgard _ . 

Byleth’s eyes snapped open and she was suddenly sitting upright, tossing the blankets off and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Moving to stand, her legs immediately failed her and she fell into the mattress. 

_ What is going on? _

She wracked her mind, going through the murmurings that had interrupted her sleep. The nurse had said something about a coma and that it was a miracle she had survived so long. 

_ Five years _ . 

The nurse had spoken reverently when she relayed her report to Hubert. The awe in her voice was barely concealed as she explained that only the Goddess could have sustained someone in a coma for five years - especially someone who had been adrift in the river. 

“ _ We are one,”  _ Sothis had told her, and she was right. Belyth remembered watching as the crumbling ceiling rushed towards her, realizing that she wasn’t fast enough to evade it. Fear had taken her and she dug deep, touching on something she didn’t fully understand.  _ The power of a goddess. _

The last thing she remembers is plunging into freezing water in utter darkness. Without light, she couldn’t even make out which way was up and her body felt weighed down with exhaustion. She struggled against the water regardless, eventually breaking the surface. She remembers the way sound echoed off of distant walls before a soothing voice convinced her to close her eyes.

_ “Rest.” _

Utilizing Sothis’ power, Byleth had somehow teleported before the ceiling crushed her. With no practice or affinity for such abilities, she had thrown herself into an underwater cavern of some sort. It was then that she had fallen asleep and drifted for five years.

Five years she had failed to stand beside Edelgard as she’d promised. Steeling herself, she moved to stand once more, catching herself on the headboard as she struggled to gain her bearings.  _ She had to find Edelgard _ . Grabbing a blanket from the bed, she wrapped herself in it and began a slow limp towards the door. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion.

Edelgard paused at the large wooden door that led to the infirmary. Her chest was tight with pain, her arms felt too heavy to lift, and she could feel her focus slipping. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she would shut down altogether, but she pushed herself through it to grasp the handle;  _ she had to see if it was true. _

As the door slowly pulled open, she blinked rapidly at the site before her. Byleth, wrapped in a white blanket, only a few steps away. Her breathing surged rapidly, but her jaw was too tight to open. Stepping quickly through the archway, she closed the door behind her and leaned her forehead against it. Within moments, her legs gave way, and she sunk to the floor.

She could hear movement behind her, but it was as if her head was underwater; the sound was muddled, distant, and difficult to grasp. As her sense of self slipped even further away, she felt arms encircle her from behind. The room seemed to spin as Byleth gently moved her into their lap, cradling her close.

“Edelgard,” they cooed, “I need you to breathe for me. Can you do that?”

Swallowing against the lump in her throat, Edelgard attempted to nod.

“Good,” Byleth began, “Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale through your mouth. I’ll do it with you.”

Byleth took an exaggerated inhale to demonstrate what they meant, breathing in sharply through their nose and blowing it gently from their mouth. Edelgard managed to nod again, shakily attempting to emulate them. 

“Yeah, you’ve got it, keep going.”

Head resting against their chest, Edelgard began breathing in sync with Byleth for several minutes. The tautness in her arms began to ebb, and she slowly grounded herself in the present. Blinking rapidly, she finally focused her eyes on the details of Byleth’s face. While the strain of leadership and war had aged Edelgard considerably in the last five years, Byleth’s face was unchanged from when she last saw them. 

“My teacher,” she whispered. Byleth hands were rubbing soothing circles on her back, and Edelgard wanted nothing more than to ease into the feeling. Her mind, however, was flailing; she was struggling to merge the last five years with the present moment. 

“Edelgard?”

“My teacher,” she began once more, “ _ Where did you go?” _

Byleth stared at her for a long moment. “I wish I had a better answer for you, but I honestly don’t know.”

Anger flared in her mind and Edelgard straightened, flinching away from Byleth.

“What do you mean ‘I don’t know?’ Is this some kind of joke to you?” Ambling out of their lap, Edelgard sat on her knees and finally met Byleth’s eyes. “I - We needed you!”

Byleth closed their eyes and felt their jaw tighten. Shifting to their knees, they bowed their head low. 

“My Emperor,” they began, voice solemn, “I’ve been in a trance state these last five years. As a result, I failed to uphold my promise to walk with you. Please forgive your servant.”

Edelgard hand came up to catch the gasp that escaped her mouth. “Y-you,” she stuttered, “ _ You’re not joking? _ ”

“I am not, your Majesty. I was teleported to an underwater cavern during the final battle and was asleep until…” they paused, glancing up towards the infirmary bed, “Well, until just a few minutes ago.” They returned their head to a bowing position and waited for Edelgard to respond.

Edelgard felt anger swell at the thought of something so bizarre -  _ so unnatural _ \- being the cause of their five year separation. In an effort to move forward, the rest of the Black Eagles had accepted that Byleth was dead - the grief was too heavy to carry indefinitely. But that’s exactly what Edelgard did; without a body, she refused to believe her teacher was dead. Now, however, as Byleth sat before her, she could not feel the joy she’d envisioned each time she dreamed of their reunion. So much of her life had been outside of her control, and now something - possibly  _ someone _ \- had ripped control from her once more. Byleth had vanished due to something so mundane, and Edelgard had been forced to carry that weight for five years. 

Opening her mouth, she thought to scream - to release five years of anxiety and anger - but instead, only a sob escaped. Eyes burning, she felt long withheld tears spill from her eyes. Byleth surged forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. Edelgard’s arms immediately wrapped around their back, holding onto Byleth as though they might disappear again. Burying her head in their neck, she cried freely, releasing five years of grief. She felt as Byleth began rocking them gently to and fro, one of their hands coming up to cup the back of Edelgard’s neck. 

As they massaged the taught muscles there, Edelgard heard her whisper, “ _ I’m so sorry, Edelgard. _ ”

In the midst of her overflowing grief, Edelgard felt a surge of hope.  _ Do they still want to walk this path with me?  _ Fighting to calm herself so that she could speak, she pulled back slightly from Byleth’s neck. 

“My teacher,” she began, voice hoarse with emotion. “I believe you. But…”

Byleth pulled back as well, concerned eyes meeting her own. 

“But?”

“Five years ago, you promised to walk this path with me,” she began, feeling her face warm at the thought of what she wanted to ask. “Do you still feel the same? Will you walk with me again?”

For a moment, Byleth only blinked. But then, to Edelgard’s joy, she saw a small smile form on their face. They brought a hand up to cup her face, their thumb gently wiping at the tear tracks.

“Edelgard,” she briefly closed her eyes as her smile widened, “ _ I will walk with you for as long as you will have me. _ ”

Joyful laughter bubbled up in Edelgard’s chest, and she pulled Byleth back into an embrace. Nuzzling into their neck, she felt the weight of five years slip from her shoulders. Her partner - _her equal_ \- had returned to her at last. 

\----

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes:
> 
> 1\. I write f!Byleth as genderqueer/non-binary. As such, they use they/them and she/her as their pronouns. I decided to default to they/them for this chapter to make it easier to read.  
> 2\. I tried to describe a panic attack/disassociation from my own experiences with it.  
> 3\. If you look at before and after pictures of world leaders - before they were elected and after - they age drastically. I don't think Edelgard was suddenly 80 years old or anything, but I do think the stress of her position, the war, and her grief likely took a heavy toll on her.  
> 4\. I included my Valentine's Day Edeleth art as a thank you for your patience!
> 
> Finally, thank you all for the kind words and kudos! I'm slowly getting comfortable with writing again and hope to write several more stories for FE3H (specifically edeleth). I'm also hoping to finally break into the nsfw realm, but we'll see if I have the courage, haha.
> 
> I'm also regularly posting Edeleth and other wlw art on my twitter (@swampjello) and tumblr (swamp-jello). Feel free to follow!

**Author's Note:**

> Fire Emblem: Three Houses was so gay and so good that I decided to start writing again. Follow me on twitter at @swampjello for art and story updates!


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